The Teacher's Lesson
by XxsleepycatxX
Summary: Jiraiya, a legendary Sannin, has always been free and reckless who worked best alone, with the exception of Tsunade and Orochimaru. But when his brash and prideful nature becomes a danger to his fellow comrades and missions, Jiraiya is forced to lead a squad of genin where he must, once again, learn patience, humility, and most of all, teamwork. MinaxKush
1. Chapter 1

**SleepyCat: Hello, my lovely readers! I am finally going to be starting this story that I've been wanting to do for quite some time. I'm excited for this story! Gives me the happy chills or something like that. **

**Main Characters: Minato, Jiraiya, Kushina, Hizashi Hyuga, Tsunade, Orochimaru **

**Recurring Characters: 3rd Hokage, Kakashi, Rin, Obito**

**Summary: Upon realizing that Jiraiya's rash and arrogant nature proves to be a danger to both his missions and his teammates, the third hokage forces his student to instruct a team of young genin, the very job Jiraiya loathed with a passion. As he struggles to teach the next generation, Jiraiya himself is taught once again what it takes to be a team...**

**Disclaimer: Naruto and it's characters do not belong to me. SHOCKER OF THE YEAR!**

**~~~~~~~~Chapter 1~~~~~~~~~~**

**-JIRAIYA's POV-**

Quiet. It was too quiet.

I was crouching behind tall, green bushes, wet because of last night's heavy rainfall. The ground beneath me felt like quicksand, slowly dragging me lower and lower, even though it had the appearance of normal mud. I hated it, but what could I do? I can't talk or move unless instructed otherwise. All I can do is hide here and stare at the empty dirt road in front of me. It's a pain...

And it was quiet. Too quiet.

The wind was not blowing or howling; there was barely a breeze. The leaves were not shaking, and no birds were singing. My breathing was probably the loudest noise I've heard so far, and I've been crouching here since morning.

And not a soul in sight. Of course, not yet anyway...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not crouching here for nothing. I'm just waiting.

Actually, I'm expecting a certain someone: Goro Kin. AKA, The black Kemuri. Kemuri means smoke, due to the fact that appears when no one is looking and disappears before anyone is able to take a glance at him. I'm not sure why he is called the "Black" Kemuri; maybe someone just threw in the word "black" to make the name more intimidating.

In my opinion, I think the name is just plain cheesy. Anyway, the black Kemuri, Goro Kin, was my target for quite some time. Two years to be precise.

Long time ago, Goro was a ninja from my village and also in my generation. We were good friends; we had known each other since we were born. Goro was one of those geniuses in my generation; he was well-respected, skilled, and definitely liked by the ladies.

Not that I was jealous or anything...

Anyway, Goro basically excelled in everything. Taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu were all but child's play to him. Plus, he was highly skilled with a sword, and with his sword, which had powerful and dangerous specialties, he could slaughter anyone in his path. I'm actually surprised I was placed on the third hokage's team instead of him, since he was more popular and famous than myself. Goro was a golden star of my generation, standing above many of us.

Then it was all gone in one single mission..

Goro and his teammates were sent on an A-rank mission of retrieving a powerful scroll that had been stolen by ninja of the sound. I had no clue what was in the scroll exactly, but I knew that whatever was in inside was extremely powerful and dangerous.

Goro and his team successfully retrieved the scroll, but barely. Of course, this meant more fame, glory, and sadly, fangirls to his already-long list of successes. However, there was no fame, no glory, and no fangirls.

Actually, Goro and his team never returned home. There are many accounts on what exactly happened, but the one I'm about to tell was probably the most accurate.

The team was half-way home when Goro did the unthinkable. When his teammates were asleep, he grabbed his clean sword and cut off his teammates' heads. Then, he took the scroll and walked in the opposite direction of the leaf village. After that, he disappeared like smoke, and no one has seen his face ever since.

Once the Leaf realized what had become of Goro, his team, and the scroll, Goro was named an S-class criminal and missing-nin. It was not known why Goro turned rogue and committed this crime so suddenly; he was seemingly perfect in everyone's eyes. Guess not. Ultimately, he was to be found, killed on sight, and the scroll was to be retrieved.

It was then, two years ago, that I was assigned to catch, kill Goro, or otherwise now known as the Black Kemuri, and retrieve the scroll. So far, I have learned that he now lives in the sound village, having created a new person for himself. He works in and leads a group of highly-skilled sound ninja, who help him steal other powerful scrolls and weapons. Of course, no one was able to stop the cunning criminal.

I haven't been able to catch him because he only sends his buddies to do his errands and whatnot. I've caught a few of those guys, but they don't reveal anything at all. If they do, the information just leads me to another dead end.

But now, I have another lead, another possibility of finally catching my target. I was ready to catch him and have in my grasp, begging for mercy. It seemed like such a wonderful image to me. Then, I imagine all the glory fangirls I would achieve. Jiraiya, the powerful and charming sannin of leaf.

Of course, that would mean I would have to crouch here in the mud all day. However, I would've waited a month here to catch the infamous Black Kemuri.

I was so consumed in my thoughts that I had almost missed the sound of footsteps.

I glanced over the road, waiting to see who those footsteps belonged to. My heart was pounding hard against my chest, almost as if it wanted to burst out. Several sweat beads appeared on my face as I nervously waited.

Someone came into my vision. However, it was not the Black Kemuri..

It was one of his henchmen. Again.

I had seen this one before though. I checked over all the details of the newcomer. This someone was a woman who I identified to be the Black Kemuri's second-in-command; probably his lover too.

I realized the opportunity flying in front of me. She must have valuable information that could help me in finding the Kemuri. Although I've never seen her fight, she doesn't seem all that strong; not without any back-up anyway.

That's right! I almost forgot my teammates, but I don't think I need to waste time telling them about my status. Although we were ordered to stay in cover, even if someone appears, and to tail anyone who did, I wasn't going to get another chance so soon like this. It's not like my teammates are going to be ambushed or anything; they're far away and well-hidden. Yeah, I don't need to tell them.

Wasting no time, I grabbed a kunai from my pouch and leaped from my cover behind the bushes.

I hadn't realized the big mistake I had just made...

**-12 HOURS LATER- **

Awkward. That basically sums up the condition right now.

I was standing in the hokage's office along with my teammates. Actually, one of my teammates was currently in the hospital in critical condition. The rest of the team, except for me, was pretty beaten up, if I must say.

The third hokage, who was sitting in his chair, staring at us, had an angry and irritated look that kinda gave a few chills. He was not happy. Period.

Our mission had failed. It was actually a trap laid out by the Kemuri for us; it was a present that basically said "better luck next time." However, there was more to it. Apparently, I had screwed up.

With a deep sigh, the hokage finally spoke to my teammates, "Chiyo and Aiko, you may go home now. I have nothing to say to you besides the fact that the mission was a failure. You are dismissed. Jiraiya, I would like a word with you."

My teammates bowed quickly and left without a word. I counted the seconds as the door slowly closed.

I was secretly loathing of what was to come. I knew what to expect: another long, boring lecture. I got these all the time, due to my bold and daring nature. I usually didn't pay attention; however, by the look of sensei's face, this lecture was going to be different.

The hokage had closed eyes for some time, not looking up or moving a muscle. Then, after another deep sigh, he said, "Jiraiya, please explain to me what happened during the mission."

I wasn't in the mood of repeating what was already in the report, but sensei didn't look like he was open for other options.

"My team and I," I began, "decided to split up. I was watching over the roads for anyone to come by. My team was located to a tea house far away, in case anyone came by that way. A woman, Kemuri's second-in-command, came by my location and-"

"You jumped into action," the hokage interrupted, "that was against the orders."

"I deemed it best to take her in since she would most likely have information about the Kemuri."

The hokage still did not look up at me. He had opened his eyes, but he was focused on his hands in his lap.

"Did you tell your teammates the change of plans?"

"Well, no. I didn't think it was necess-"

The hokage slammed his hand on his desk, glaring at his student and yelled, "Jiraiya, will you never learn? Jumping into action like that was a rash move, but not warning your teammates sealed this mission as a failure."

I wast taken back by this sudden outburst. Usually, the old man was calm and well-collected, but the hokage had broken through his peaceful nature.

"Sensei, how was I supposed to know it was a trap?! She didn't hold any sign that said, "hey! Come here! There's a trap waiting for you.' That's a normal mistake."

"Did you bother to realize that your teammates had been ambushed by many ninja and were contacting you for help?

"Hmph, I didn't know the girl was waiting for me to jump out so she would contact the enemy ninja, who were trailing my team, to attack. I believed they were strong enough the handle themselves," I claimed, "apparently, they're not strong at all."

Sensei clenched his fist tightly till it turned tomato red. "That's not the point. Your actions endangered your whole team, and what do you do? You run after the girl instead, all the way to the border, in fact. Surely, you must have realized that the mission was a failure by then. That girl is a well-known ninja in the sound village, and you crossed the line when you dared to capture, maybe kill, her. That would lead into more conflict between the sound and the leaf. You were too ignorant to realize the amount of danger you had caused for your teammates and your village. Now one of your teammates is in the hospital with the possibility of dying."

"If we had gone along with MY original plan, then none of this would've happened. I should have gone by myself. I'm powerful enough without any team holding me back. The only people I can work with is Tsunade and Orochimaru, but you insisted on others. The way I see it, it's your fault," I screamed so loud that the people in the hallway would be able to hear me.

The Hokage paused. His eyes met mine in some type of glaring contest. Surprisingly, the hokage calmed himself and sat back down. Then, with another sigh, he said, "I have no other option. Jiraiya, as my student, I take great pride in you. You are an accomplished shinobi, and I agree that you are indeed strong.

However, you are too ignorant in believing you are strong enough alone; your selfish and rash nature have endangered too many missions and shinobi for too long. I've have tried to warn you, but your pride allows you to ignore my warnings along with your teammates. I had believed you knew how to work as a team and to rely on others. But now I see, that you are blind with power and pride. Alone, you are no stronger than you were when you joined my squad. And that is why..."

I knew to expect the worst. I knew to expect any punishment the third could give me in his power. But I could not expect..

"And that is why I'm assigning you to a team of genin as of today. You will learn to be a teacher and to be responsible of newcomers. Hopefully, you will be taught once again the true meaning of what it takes to be a team."

I wasn't sure how to take that in; I was trying not to believe what I had just heard. My mouth was slightly open, since I was shocked an all. I was still trying to make sense of what my sensei had just said. It took a few seconds before I was shook out of my phase, and I felt heat rise to my face. Stumbling on words to say, I said,

"W-what?! You can't be serious! You honestly think I would agree to train team of brats? You have plenty of shinobi for babysitting genin. I've got training to do, a mission to accomplish, and a target to eliminate, and now you want to hinder me with a bunch of-"

"In your current state, you will never be strong enough to eliminate your target," sensei interrupted. I opened my mouth to respond, but the hokage held up his hand, "as hokage, I am ordering you to take a team. There is no other option; you only have yourself to blame. In a couple days, you will be receiving your own team, a whole new responsibility. You are dismissed."

The old man turned his back to me and said no more.

I clutched my fist even more, restraining myself from jumping over the hokage's and knocking some sense into the man. I was angry. To be first forced into the position of sensei of a team of brats and then merely dismissed like I was some unimportant being to my sensei, it was infuriating and appalling.

There was no way out of this. My sensei was, in fact, the third hokage. I couldn't disobey a direct order from the village's leader. I hated it, but I had no other choice. I would have my own team of brats in a matter of days and play babysitter for who knows how long.

Believing I had had enough for one day, I opened the creaking door, and left.

I had just realized the mass headache I had obtained from the fight.

-**END OF CHAPTER 1-**

**SleepyCat: Next will be a POV for Minato. Not all these chapters will be POV!**


	2. Enter Minato Namikaze

**SleepyCat: Hi. Everyone! So excited that I'm going to do 2nd chapter already! Plan is to get at least 10 chapters by next week, so hold on for a bit. I'm excited for this next one! And I'm listening to EPIC naruto soundtracks.**

**Like I said in the last chapter, this will be another POV; not all of these chapters will POV. So for future POV haters, there you go.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto, the characters, or the music I'm listening to belongs to me. :P**

**-Chapter 2-**

**-MINATO's POV-**

I had lost track of time.

Grabbing my small jug of water, I sat down against the nearest tree as I was catching my breath. I had been training two or three hours; I didn't remember exactly. I had gotten up early this morning to train before going to the academy. I decided to work on the basic skills and chakra controls, due to the fact that the Graduation test was tomorrow. However, I had lost track of time, caught up in my training.

The tree that I was leaning against surprisingly felt comfortable, and I felt as if I almost didn't want to leave or even move. I was pretty tired; even the basic techniques can really push you.

I just wanted to stare at grayish morning sky. There were no clouds and no sun in sight, but a chilly breeze. The cold air felt great against my sweaty self, and it made it harder for me to get up.

Of course, I had to get up. I had never been late to class, and I wasn't going start today either. As top student, I can't be pulling stunts like that. My parents had high expectations for me, and I want to live up to those expectations.

Slowly, I found the strength to rise from my resting place, hard as it may be. I grabbed my little jug and placed it in my bag that contained my books for class. I had brought my school bag just in case I had lost track of time, and of course, I did. I briefly rubbed my bright yellow hair with my hand and then ran off in the direction of the academy.

The thing about me was that even when I was exhausted and tired from training, I somehow always had enough energy to run. I enjoyed running, especially on a cold morning like this. With the cold breeze hitting my face, I felt more energy and more spirit to go faster. Running wasn't training or hard exercise for me; it was a hobby. I'd run at night, morning, afternoon, or anytime I could find; walking was just to slow for me. My mother told me that the first time I was able to learn how to stand on my two feet, I did not walk; I ran. I ran as fast as a 2 year old could go. Ever since then, I've been the fastest kid in my generation, leaving everyone else in the dust. That was the mystery about me.

As I ran through the village, I occasionally caught a "hello" or a "good morning;" most of the villagers were up and awake by now. In response, I smiled back and waved. I knew most of these villagers by heart. While I could say I have a good friendship with most of the villagers because of my parents, it was mainly because I enjoy talking to people. Besides running, I love to talk to people, learn of their day, talk about likes and dislikes, and stuff like that; it was always wonderful to hear a new story everyday. I also enjoyed looking around in all the shops; although I didn't buy anything, I loved looking at all the nick-nacks and other cool stuff. Most of the owners were really nice as well, and they always greeted me with a smile. The fact of the matter is, I love people.

I ran past a small white and green structure that was a two-story old building; there were yellow flowers at the front with a little white-bearded gnome in the front. This was my home, a nice, little house that I have been living in all my life. I had the urge to just stop in front of it and gaze at it's many features, but I was late. I didn't have time to stop by to say "hello" or take a quick shower.

I was on the run.

A few minutes later of running, I had reached the Academy; saying a quick hello to the academy teacher who was hanging outside, I quickly darted inside.

My classroom was all the way in the back, and it's kinda a maze to get there. I actually got lost on my first day at the academy; that was a terrible experience.

I finally reached my way to the classroom; of course, it's not hard to miss with all the screaming and laughing kids in the room. I looked at the clock above me to see how much time I had left.

_7:55..._

5 minutes to spare. I was pretty impressed, since I trained on the opposite side of the village.

Taking a deep breath, I walked over to my seat, which was in the middle of the left aisle. I noticed my friend, Hizashi Hyuga, was already there next to my seat, waiting patiently for class to start; I sat down next to him, placing my books on the desk in front of me.

Whatever deep phase Hizashi seemed to be fixed on, my arrival snapped him out of it; his pale white eyes turned toward me while offering a simple, "good morning."

I smiled and cheerfully nodded at him. "Good morning!"

"You were almost late today," Hizashi observed. "Was it because you were training again?"

"Hai, I kinda lost track of time," I said with an embarrassed laugh.

"I believe your track of time is off because of the exam tomorrow, am I correct?"

"Probably, as usually."

"With your skills and status, there's no reason for you to worry. It's most likely you will pass; you are nervous because you doubt yourself."

"I just want to get it right the first time. And you too! You'll do great too; you're going to tear up that exam tomorrow. I mean, you are a Hyuga after all."

Hizashi sadly gazed down at his lap, quietly saying,

"only a branch member."

That's right. Hizashi was a branch member while his twin brother was the main branch; I thought it was unfair, them being twin brothers and all. Because of this, I hated seeing Hizashi like this because of the stupid clan rules; I needed to cheer him up.

"Branch member has nothing to do with it. In my opinion, you're better than those main branch guys. You doubt yourself too, but I've got faith in you too."

That seemed to do the trick, for there grew a small smile on Hizashi's face. All I said was true. Hizashi and I have been good friends for a while; we had great faith in each other,giving the other strength to overcome the limited expectations. He was a branch member, but by now, he was just as strong as his twin brother, Hiashi, and I supported him through it all. In the beginning, I had low expectations, since I was born into a family of citizens who have had no history of fighting. With Hizashi's support, I became the top student and pushed off those expectations. He was a great friend, and I was happy-

"Baka! Outta my way!"

My thoughts were disturbed by a sudden outburst that came from the door. I looked to the front to see a red-haired girl who had just pushed a boy to the ground. The boy seemed to be scared out of his wits and quickly crawled away.

The red-haired girl, one Kushina Uzumaki, was a foreigner whose village was destroyed and was transferred here. She didn't exactly get along with anyone, due to her short temper and scary strength. She was made fun of when she first arrived, due to the color of her hair; however, anyone who got in her way, she would beat them to a pulp.

The boy was a part of a bully group who always wanted to pick on her; I didn't know if the bullies were stupid or just enjoyed getting crushed by her.

Anyway, I didn't think her hair was weird; I mean, I have bright blonde hair which I think was weird. I thought her hair was beautiful; it was red as roses and pretty long too. Not only was her hair pretty, but she was lovely as well, although no one had the same idea as me. However, I was too shy to tell her any of that.

When it comes to girls, I'm pretty much hopeless.

After scaring the bully off, Kushina walked up to her desk in the far back; since she was still ticked off, she stomped her way up the little stairs. As she stomped passed, I slightly blushed into a pinkish-red. I had hoped my blush had gone unnoticed, but Hizashi noticed it right off the bat.

"Why don't you go talk to her, Minato?" Hizashi asked.

"T-talk to her?" I stuttered.

"Yes, the thing you do when you open your mouth, say words, and actually start a conversation."

"I-I..what if I say something stupid? And then she punches me? I mean, I don't want another hole in my face."

"That's better than standing from a distance, never having the hope to talk to her. You can at least try."

"I didn't know you were such the match-maker, Hizashi."

"Only to those who are almost completely hopeless, Minato. Now, you go talk to her, or I'll go myself."

"NO!" I yelled out loud, earning a few stares from my classmates. I had forgotten there were other people in the room. I turned back into a pinkish-red and said, "I-I guess I can try."

I turned around to the back to see Kushina, who was still blowing off steam. Her eyes were closed, but she was clenching her fist tightly. Realizing I had no other choice, I called out to her, hoping to get her attention.

"Kushina! How are you to-"

"Do want to start something with me too, punk?!"

"N-no! I-I was just-"

"Don't make come down there and give you a beating too!"

I quickly turned around, my face still completely red. I let out a deep sigh and said, "well, I tried."

"Class dismissed!"

It was almost like a stampede of bulls, for all the students crowded at the door to leave as quickly as possible.

I looked around for Kushina, but it seemed as though she had already left. I sighed once again and left with Hizashi. I wasn't too happy that I didn't have the courage to continue talking to Kushina.

I didn't want to stay depressed though; it wasn't my personality to stay depressed. As we exited the academy, I decided to talk about something more uplifting.

"I'm not actually worried about the exams tomorrow; I just like to prepare. I'm actually excited. I mean, we can finally get a squad and a sensei. I hope we're on the same team, Hizashi."

"Is there a particular sensei you desire?"

"Hai!" I exclaimed. "I want Jiraiya-sempai, of the legendary Sannin. I think he's one of the coolest and most awesome shinobi ever! My parents don't like him, but they won't tell me why. I don't care though; I think of him as my role model and example. Don't you think so?"

"I agree that he's quite powerful, but how do you know he's one of the sensei's this year?"

Hizashi had a point. I had no clue whether or not Jiraiya was one of the sensei's; in fact, I don't even know if he wanted team at all. You only get one sensei for you whole life, and there was a small chance you could the sensei you want. Sadly, that was the truth of the matter.

"I don't know; I can only hope for it."

The rest was silence. I had decided to walk with Hizashi to his Clan domain, since it was close to my house. We waved good-bye and went our separate ways.

I couldn't sleep.

I laid on my bed, staring at my white ceiling, counting the ticks on my clock next to my bed. My lights were off and the window was open, letting a nice cool breeze to flow in. I was in my most comfortable pjs, and I bet my pillow was made from the clouds of the sky. Everything was so comfy.

But I couldn't sleep.

I wasn't nervous. Like I said before, I was excited. What bothered me was the fact that I only have a slim chance to get my dream sensei. Imagine it: Minato Namikaze, accomplished student of the legendary sannin, Jiraiya-sempai. It was a dream that seemed almost impossible.

But it was a dream that I would cling to.

**END OF CHAPTER 2 **

**SleepyCat: yay! Done with this one! Yush!**


	3. Exams and the Red-Haired Kunoichi!

**SleepyCat: I'll take this time to please ask this. Don't forget to review my chapters! I would love to know how I'm doing, what things you guys love, and what things I could change. Please don't be shy. Me like reviews!**

**Anywho!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine! Panic! Everyone run! RUN! RUN FOR YOU LIVES! PANIC! FLEE! **

**-Chapter 3: Exams and the red-haired Kunoichi!-**

**-MINATO'S POV-**

Bacon. I could smell bacon.

I was awaken by a flood of bright, yellow sunlight that was like sticks, beating on my eyes to wake up. Painfully and slowly, I allowed my eyes to open, staring directly into the beam of light. I didn't know which was more painful, trying to open my sleepy eyes or looking straight into the sunlight afterwords. Getting out of bed, however, will probably be the worst pain yet this morning. My covers were cool from last night's breeze and felt like bricks, comfy bricks actually, than held down my body to my bed. I really didn't want to get up.

Then, I smelled the aroma of bacon, hot sizzling bacon to be exact. Mother was preparing bacon this morning. Something she usually wouldn't prepare for breakfast...

Of course, I forgot. Today was the exam day at the academy, and mother had promised to make me a special breakfast. And whenever there's bacon, you definitely can be sure it comes with some miso soup.

With that in mind, I quickly jumped out of bed and changed into my white long-sleeve, hooded shirt and long black pants. As I ran down the wooden stairs, almost tripping few times, the aroma of hot food grew stronger as I reached, more like stumbled into, the kitchen; I was half-asleep and half-slobbering where I stood. I was a hungry beast; nothing would come between me and my mother's cooking.

I had made a lot of noise from stumbling down the stairs, so both my parents were fully aware I was coming down. My father, Kin Namikaze, was already sitting at the table, reading the morning paper diligently; however, he wasn't too absorbed in reading to notice clumsy me entering the room. He looked up from the paper to smile and calmly offer a "good morning." He was slightly amused, due to my silly and messy appearance. Father was a well-built man in his late thirties with bright blonde hair just like mine, except his hair was longer and pulled back into a small ponytail. He was a quiet and kind man with golden eyes who owned and worked with my mother at a small tea shop along next to our house.

Akane Namikaze, my mother, was a beautiful fair-skinned woman with short red hair; she, however, was more outgoing than my father, but, nevertheless, a kind soul. She had piercing blue eyes that were exactly identical to mine; I had, ultimately inherited my dad's hair and my mom's eyes. Sometimes, I wish I inherited my mom's lovely red hair; maybe if I did, Kushina would've have been more open to me. I had fallen in love with her hair because it reminded me so much of that of my mother's, but like I said yesterday, I'm hopeless when it comes to talking with girls.

Next to the oven stood the short red-haired woman, cooking to what I assume to be miso soup. She turned her attention to me and smiled. "Good morning, sleepy-head! Breakfast is almost ready, so you can sit down."

Father waved me to the seat next to him, and I quietly sat next to him. Ruffling my hair with his pale hand, he gazed at me with his golden eyes, and with a soft voice that I could barely hear, he said, "Are you nervous about today, son?"

Surprisingly, I was nervous. I told Hizashi I wasn't nervous about the exams, which was true at the time, but I guess feelings can change overnight. I didn't know what to say to my dad, so I simply nodded in response. I didn't enjoy being nervous, and I definitely didn't enjoy admitting it either.

Father didn't change his expression. "It's okay to be nervous. It's pretty normal, actually, for anyone to be nervous about the exam. In your shoes, I would be nervous too."

"Many of the students who are in clans, like the Uchiha and the Hyuga, claim that being nervous or showing fear is a sign of weakness. They say those who show fear are not worthy of becoming accomplished ninja. Is that true, dad?"

The older man let out a small chuckle. He knew about the strict standards of the Uchiha and the Hyuga, and he disagreed with basically everyone of them.

"The Uchiha and the Hyuga are strict with their children when it comes to emotions. They teach the youth to purge all emotion, believing emotion would hold them back. Basically, they teach them to be less human as much as possible. However, I don't believe fear or being nervous is a sign of weakness, but rather, an obstacle you will have to overcome. At your age, most kids are, in fact, nervous and scared; they can't help it because not only are they human, but they are too young to have strength to withstand fear. You will eventually learn to lose fear, but for right now, it's okay to be fully human."

I looked down at my hands which laying still in my lap. Father was right, but I still felt uncomfortable with all the fear I held in side.

"But what If I don't pass? What if I fail? I could be the only one not to graduate. I might never get out of the academy. And then I can never.."

I was slightly shaking; I hadn't been so nervous in all my life. To think of the possibility of failing to pass and losing the chance to become an official ninja was made me fear even more. As a top student, it would be embarrassing to fall hard like this. Part of me just wanted to stay home and save the embarrassment of failure.

I was clenching my fists tightly; I didn't want to look up at all. It was embarrassing to even show this much fear for a kid..

My panic attack did not continue, however. It was interrupted when father gently placed his hand on my head. His golden eyes stared directly into mine, as if he could read my thoughts and look into my soul. His smile was larger now, and it felt ten times more welcoming and warming.

"I believe in you, Minato. I know you can do it."

Instantly, my fear was gone. What was cold inside became warm, and I no longer was shaking or clenching my fists. My father and mother have always put his absolute faith in me; they were my strongest support.

"Thanks, dad!"

The blonde man nodded and slowly removed his hand from head. Mother finally served out two bowls of miso soup and a big plate bacon. I didn't wait for anyone else; I immediately digged in like a cat eating it's prey.

My parents chuckled and in a more calmly fashion, began their meal as well. After breakfast, I prepared for school, said good-bye to my family, and left the Namikaze homestead. After dad's heart-warming words, I felt a new energy and strength grow up inside me. Then, taking a deep breath...

I ran...

**-At the Academy-**

Hizashi was waiting for me. He was in the exact same state he was in yesterday when I came into class. However, he noticed me right off the bat this time and waved to me, to which I did the same.

The other students were more quiet than usual; most of them were whispering while some sat in their seat silently. Dad was right; a lot of them did seem to be nervous, except for Kushina. She looked like she didn't give a crap about the test. Surprisingly, I envied her; she definitely had more confidence than me.

I sat next to Hizashi; he was nervous too, even he tried to hide it. I've been friends with him for so long, I would know when he's nervous, so I wasn't surprised. What did surprise me was the mischievous smile that grew on his face.

Hizashi leaned toward me and whispered, "Kushina's going to your tea shop."

Immediately, my face turned several shades of dark red; I'm afraid whatever confidence I had left, it was out the window. I tried to hide behind my books, hoping no one would notice the new color of my face.

"K-Kushina is coming...to MY family's tea shop?! H-how do you know that?!"

"I've got my sources, Minato. I'll have to kill you if I tell you. It's top secret, my friend."

"Ah, man," I grumbled. I was excited and nervous(again). If Kushina did come to the tea shop, I would have another chance to talk to her. Of course, there's my problem with girls again. I'd probably fail miserably...

"Why is she coming?"

"Probably to buy tea," Hizashi stated the obvious. I felt pretty dumb to ask.

"What do I say to her?"

"Just start a normal conversation. Pretend your talking to me."

"But Hizashi, you're a boy, and she's a girl. It's completely different. I don't really know how to connect with a girl like that."

"What I've heard is that you should try complimenting the girl on her looks. Women love to hear men flatter and compliment them. Also, have a sincere face when you speak to her, and that might work out for you. Don't ask how I know that, but you should give it a try."

"Maybe I should." It was a pretty good idea; however, it was still odd how all this came from Hizashi, who usually isn't the manipulative type, especially when it comes to girls.

_8:00 a.m._

It was time. Sitting in their normal spots, everyone remained silent. It was so quiet that I could hear a person on the other side of the room taping their desk impatiently. Everyone was nervous, even the Uchiha and other Hyuga students showed small signs of anxiousness. The time had come for exam, the exam that would determine who moves on and who stays.

The teacher, for the longest time, gazed at all his students; he could sense the fear among them. He chuckled to himself, amused at all the pale faces of the students, for just as the blood had left their faces, so too did their confidence. Clearing his throat, he finally announced with a loud voice,

"Welcome students! Today, you will all take the graduation exam to determine whether or not you are ready to move to the next level. You will do exactly what the teachers instruct you to do. Your score will be determine by how well you complete each task. You have already been instructed about what skills you will be tested in. You will go one at a time into a separate room. Good luck and let us begin.

Fugaku Uchiha. You are first."

_Sigh..._

The third hokage sat in his chair, alone in his office. A large puff of smoke arose from his pipe as the old man stared out my window. It was times like these he enjoyed being alone in the silence, especially with all the trouble his student, Jiraiya, had given him for the past two days. The lively argument with sannin had given him a massive headache and left him pretty grumpy for the rest of the day. Although the hokage was able to calm myself a day later, Jiraiya was still moping, complaining, ranting, or all of the above the day after.

_Sigh..._

There were some moments where the old man regretted forcing Jiraiya into leading a team of genin. He's more worried about the students than Jiraiya himself, due to his reckless behavior. However, the hokage has remained resolved in his decision, so Jiraiya will need to stick with the team and suck up his pride.

The Graduation exams are today; a new generation is finally ready to advance into the shinobi world. Soon, the results will be in, teams will be formed, and Jiraiya will be a sensei in 24 hours.

The hokage quietly chuckled to himself. He felt slightly bad for the kids who will be assigned to Jiraiya; they're definitely going to have it rough. 'I just hope there's at least one child who could knock some sense into my student.' the hokage thought to himself.

It only takes one child...

"Minato Namikaze, you pass! Congratulations!"

A rush of excitement flooded through my head as the teacher directed me to table to receive my headband. Taking one of the blue headbands, I felt the fabric, the metal and the symbol to make sure it wasn't a dream or some joke. It was real, an authentic leaf headband that only ninja were allowed to wear. Now, he too could wear it proudly in his village.

Surprisingly, I was bombarded by several praises by the instructors..

"You did it perfectly, Minato! You didn't even break a sweat!"

"I think your the best one we've seen today."

"Oh, I bet your parents will take you out for dinner!"

I was little overwhelmed by all the comments made, so I didn't exactly know how to respond. I was only able to let out an embarrassing laugh. I was surprised to receive positive comments like these; I didn't think I was that great. I'm just glad I passed.

I quickly bowed to the teachers, headband in hand, before heading out of the exam room, though not before I heard a small whisper of "He's so adorable."

That definitely made me blush.

I entered back into the classroom where all the students, who were once silent, had exploded into little chattering kids. Apparently, I was the last one because all of the instructors had followed me back into the room. I gave a thumbs-up to Hizashi who nodded back at me. He had taken his exam in the beginning; he had passed too, besides having trouble on a few of the basic skills.

Quickly taking my seat next to Hizashi, I looked back to see if Kushina had passed. There was a headband on her desk as well, but she looked pretty angry nevertheless. I'm guessing she had passed, but barely.

The teacher began the graduation speech he always gave every year. I didn't pay much attention; he basically told the class congrats and come back tomorrow for the team assignments. Apparently, everyone in our class had passed, even though it was pretty big class. That made me relieved, knowing that no one here who go home disappointed; I was friends with most of my class, besides all three of the Uchiha, Hizashi's brother, and the bullies that picked on Kushina. I'm surprised those guys who bully Kushina actually passed; not exactly the brightest of the class.

But all in all, I was happy. I couldn't wait to get my teams, to have my own sensei, and to walk around Konoha knowing I was a true shinobi.

And best of all, I couldn't wait to tell father and mother!

After I told my parents that I had passed, they prepared a special dinner for me: rice cakes, sushi, Umeboshi, and a hot pot of tea. If anyone asked me what my favorite meal was, it would be, hands down, my mother's cooking.

Mother and father were both very proud of me, congratulating me numerous times. Dad promised me that I would be receiving a wonderful surprise, but I would need to wait. I didn't mind waiting really; I was mostly happy because my parents were here celebrating my graduation with me. I couldn't ask for more.

Although today was a day of celebration, I promised, or more like asked, to watch over the tea shop tonight. I've always helped along in the shop with my parents, but I had never managed it by myself. My parents happily obliged, probably because the shop was right next door. I'm guessing they wanted some time alone to themselves and do what adults do. I have no idea what adults do while kids look away, but it's something I don't want to find out to be honest. Probably something...gross.

Anyway, my shift started in the evening, around 7:00 pm to be exact. I dusted around, made sure everything was in place, unlocked the door, and sat behind the cashier desk. Due to my short self, I had to bring in a tall-enough stool to sit on behind the desk; it was kinda embarrassing, if you must ask. But no matter, I swung my legs, impatiently waiting for customers to show up.

I didn't have to wait long for the first customer to show up; a large woman with too much make-up was the first to enter. She was only in her twenties, but she was larger than many of the Akimichi, which was kinda sad since the Akimichi were famous for their largeness. She was a nice woman, a little too nice sometimes, especially to her kitten; she overly-obsessed with her cat. The kitten tended to run away, but it was usually caught by genin. It definitely made a great source of D-rank missions, I must say.

"Oh my, you have grown, Minato, but you're still the most adorable thing ever. Give your old friend a hug."

Of course, I didn't get a chance to get up, since I was attacked and hugged tightly by the woman. Her hold was so tight I could barely breath; I tried to give myself some room move, but all was in vain. I was caught, and there was nothing I could do about it. Eventually, she let go, but not before giving me a kiss on the cheek and ruffling my hair. I let a small laugh, still traumatized after almost dying by suffocation. Women finally started her search for new flavors of tea; every time she came around to our shop, she would buy a new flavor. My parents had just ordered a batch of exotic tea from outside the village, so it was a no brainer that the large woman went for the several packages of the exotic tea.

After checking the whole store for more flavors, the woman checked out and bought the tea, and she left without another word. I was hoping that next customer would be less-friendly than the first, so I didn't have to worry about being attacked again. With a deep sigh, I began to swing my legs once more.

_8:30 pm..._

15 minutes to closing up shop. I was ready for my job to be done; who knew selling tea would be so much work. I'm guessing it was because of all the overly-friendly customers who came by; for once in my life, I realized that I had one too many friends. The customers had definitely worn me out, and I felt myself drifting into sleep, a temptation that was pulling me in. While the desk surface wasn't the most comfortable thing on the planet, it appeared to be a pillow made from the clouds of the sky. I laid my head on the desk and decided to rest my eyes for a bit. In 15 minutes, I'll be done and rest in my own bed; I was thinking so much on sleep that I almost didn't hear the opening of the door.

I quickly looked up to see who next customer was, hoping he or she would make the errand fast. Of course, to my disbelief, it was a short girl with long red hair.

"K-Kushina?!" I began to sweat. I forgot Hizashi mentioning to me that Kushina was coming by the shop, and here I was, half-asleep on my desk. I tried to look as calm as possible, but I knew my face had already turned colors.

"You work here?" Kushina asked. She didn't seem too pleased to see me.

"Actually," I jumped down from my stool and walked away from my desk toward the girl, "my parents own this shop. We live next door."

"Oh," Kushina turned to look at the different stacks of tea, saying nothing else. She was completely ignoring me as if I was a statue.

I had to get her attention, but I was so nervous, I didn't know what to say. But if I didn't say anything, I might lose my best chance to ever know her. This was such a pain. Well, got to try sometime...

Swallowing whatever fear I had, I cleared my throat and called out.

"Kushina!"

Kushina turned away from her searching to face me; she dully looked at me, as if I was still a statue. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for me to get on what I was about to say.

After a deep breath, I searched for the best sincere face I could put on and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"I-um...I-I think your feet are pretty."

She did not take that as well as I had hoped; her expression changed into that of an angry beast, as if she wanted to pummel me into the ground. If I had ever thought women were scary, this confirmed it; she pointed her finger at me before yelling out,

"Punk! I know what your game is! Don't even think about messing with me, ya know!

She dropped whatever packages she was holding and stormed out of the shop; I was relieved that she had spared my life...and my face for that matter. I have only talked to her twice, and both times, I somehow angered her.

I was for sure I had it right. I mean, I said her feet were pretty, which was technically a compliment. What's wrong with complimenting someone's feet? Was it weird to say stuff like that? Or was it...

I glanced at a mirror hanging on the wall next to me, checking out my "sincere" look.

"Or maybe it was because I looked like a pervert saying those words... I'm such an idiot."

**-Jiraiya's POV-**

_9:00 pm.._

The old door creaked behind me as I left the hokage's office, carrying a couple important papers, documents on my future team, who had been forced upon me by the hokage. I had spent the whole day protesting against the hokage's order, but there was nothing I could do. I was to meet my team of brats tomorrow and bear the pain of training them. I was hoping after a few months, they would switch me out with another Shinobi; then, I would be able to work faster on the kemuri case. But in the mean time...

I decided it was best to read up on my future students; rumor has it that I have a top student in my squad. Well, we'll see about that in due time...

Walking out of the hokage building, I read the first document.

_Kachi Akimichi: 12 years old, male, blood type AB, side branch member of the Akimichi clan. _

The paper had full detail on strengths and weaknesses. Kachi was seemingly a strong genin, who, despite his bulky appearance, was skilled in Taijutsu. However, I had heard of this kid; he acted a lot like most Uchiha: Stuck-up, proud, and annoying. He was a brat I was wishing to avoid. I was hoping the next kid would not be an Uchiha. That would be a terrible combo.

Of course, the second document was a slap in the face.

_Chi Uchiha: 12 years old, female, blood type AB, side branch member of the Uchiha clan. _

This girl was as bad as Kachi, except worse. She was highly-skilled in mostly everything, although her sharingan had not been awaken. She was, however, not only prideful and stuck-up, but she was a know-it-all kid. This team was going to be loads of crap; I actually hope I can fail them so I don't have to deal with such annoying brats. I didn't bother reading anymore of her history along with that of the Akimichi boy. I simply did not care at all about the both of them.

Why did I have to get this team? This was definitely not going to help me in any shape, way, or form. A team of whiny, stuck-up, annoying, good-for-nothing...

I had almost forgotten my third document in my hand; I was so consumed with disappointment with the first two that I didn't realized I hadn't read about my third member. I doubt this one will be any better though...

I picked up the last document.

_Minato Namikaze: 10 years old, Male, Blood type A_

Hm, no clan was listed here for him, this Minato kid. This kid had the brightest and weirdest hair I had ever seen; he looked too happy and weak which kinda made me sick. However, I read his stats, which were nothing but excellence; the comments from his teachers were only of praise. Apparently, Minato was the top student this year and also pretty popular. I wasn't convinced though; I was still curious to read more about my third student.

One fact stood out among the others. Minato Namikaze, son of Kin and Akane Namikaze, was born into a family with no history affiliated with the shinobi world, but rather, exotic flavors of tea.

It came quite shocking to me, knowing that a boy with a civilian family was placed on my team. Despite his amazing stats, which I believed to be my imagination, Minato was merely a civilian, and it was enraging to know that a civilian could ever work with me, a legendary sannin. I could tell that this boy, Minato, would never make it as a successful ninja; it was impossible. It was more than likely that even though I don't like them, Kachi and Chi will leave Minato in the dust. No doubt about..

I let out a deep sigh. _So I have two prideful snobs from different clans and a worthless civilian...great..._

**END OF CHAPTER 3 **

**SleepyCat: I'm so sleepy...**


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